Saturday, May 12, 2018

Saturday Showcase -- She Paints Seashells By the Seashore with Tim Holtz

Welcome to this week's Saturday Showcase where we share techniques and tips using products available at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. It's Sara Emily here today, and I'm sharing some tips on how to decorate Sizzix Bigz Die w/Texture Fades - Seashells by Tim Holtz using Ranger Distress products. Hopefully I can provide a bit of inspiration for our current challenge, Surf's Up.

For each of these shells, I used the new Seashells Bigz die by Tim Holtz and the Texture Fade which is included. I used various papers including Distress Heavystock, Distress Watercolor Cardstock, Idea-ology Metallic Kraft Stock, Alcohol Ink Yupo Paper in white, and scraps from my stash. For most of my samples, I applied gesso to the shells before adding any products. I did not use gesso with Yupo or Metallic card, and I didn't use it for the blue shell that I used Distress ink alone to color. Most of my shells are shaped, and I did this by first spritzing the back with water, shaping and then drying with a heat tool.

Here are the steps along with a photo collage for each set of shells pictured above, with the exception of the 'brass' and yellow shells. Things were not going well with the brass colored shell, so I thought I was going to trash it and I just forgot on the yellow one.. I will try to recreate my steps. Remember, you can click on any image to zoom in.

1. Apply Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide to gessoed shell. Do this by the 'dip and dry' method--apply oxides to mat and spritz with water. Dip your card into puddle, then dry with a heat tool. Repeat until satisfied with results.

2. Using a brush apply Worn Lipstick Oxide.

3. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

Blue shell:

1. Blend cardstock shell (no gesso) with Faded Jeans Distress ink.

2. Spritz with water and let dry or dry with heat tool.

3. Apply touches of Tattered Rose and Worn Lipstick Distress Oxide.

4. Blend with Faded Jeans and Black Soot Distress ink.

5. Scribble raised areas with Faded Jeans Distress Crayon.

1. Outline with Walnut Stain Distress Marker.

2. Blend with water pen.

3. I included a photo of the embossing process, because I wanted to mention I sometime used design tape to hold the shell in place if I was concerned about getting a perfectly aligned impression. It's also worth mentioning to be sure you are coloring the 'right side'. This is particularly important in some upcoming shells. You want to be sure you are embossing, not debossing the colored side of your shell. In some cases, I purposely debossed, for a different outcome.

1. Apply Distress Grit Paste to shells with a palette knife and allow to dry.

2. Apply Bundled Sage and Iced Spruce Oxides to the shells using dip and dry.

3. Do the same with Frayed Burlap Oxide.

4. Shape shells using a ball stylus on the Horse Conch and by pinching bottom of the scallop shell.

5. Add Worn Lipstick Oxide on inside of Conch using a brush.

6. Blend edges with Frayed Burlap ink.

1. Apply alcohol inks in Sailboat Blue and Mushroom to Yupo paper. I dribbled drops and spritzed with rubbing alcohol. I used a heat tool to move the color around. It looked like a hot mess.

2. Die cut shells and emboss.

3. Scribble with Picket Fence Distress crayon and heat set. Be careful with the heat, because Yupo acts like Shrinky Dinks when too intense heat is applied.

4. Blend edges with Ground Espresso ink.

I hope you enjoyed today's tips and will give one of them a try! Our current challenge, Surf's Up, is open through Tuesday, May 22nd, and these shells would fit in perfectly with the theme. Our Funkie girls will be posting their inspiration on Wednesday. Be sure to stop back next Saturday when another Design Team member will be sharing more tips and techniques.

Happy creating!

Sara Emily

These products were used and can be found at The Funkie Junkie Boutique, where the prices are always priced 20% off suggested retail:

Oh my goodness, this is jaw-dropping! What a fabulous step out and amazing results. Thank you so much for sharing how you created these realistic looking shells. I don't think I could find anything more beautiful on the beach!

Wow! Wow! Wow! These shells are spectacular Sara! You have turned ordinary cardstocks into the most realistic looking shells .. they are gorgeous!! What an amazing step by step! Thank you so much for sharing! Am bookmarking this for sure! hugs xx

Sara, your shells blow me away! It amazes me how many steps there are to get such perfection, but the results are so worth the effort! (Also thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving the sweet comment. You noted that I was prolific. I can be... but my card designs are so very simple compared to yours. I have never made a distressed card and don't even own ANY Tim Holtz items. However, after becoming a follower of your blog, I think that might change. Your many cards and other items are so amazing!)

Your shells are amazing with the unusual ways of using oceanic colors and feels - breathtaking! Thank you for the fabulous tutorials, and for featuring each item individually so I could learn from you, yet again! Happy Mother's Day and best wishes for a fantastic week. Hugs, de

What an amazing technique, Sara Emily! These shells are positively gorgeous! I have a "thing" for the ocean and shells and all things beachy, and boy...you really spoke to that with the amazing techniques you used here. I don't know whether to thank you or scold you...because now I *have* to have these dies! LOL Seriously gorgeous, and so inspiring! Thank you!